


300 Miles (And I'm Waiting For You)

by sinandmisery



Series: Swan Queen AU Week [6]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-11
Updated: 2014-01-11
Packaged: 2018-01-08 08:23:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1130426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinandmisery/pseuds/sinandmisery
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For Swan Queen Week, Day 6: Out of Storybrooke AU // After everyone is returned to Storybrooke when the counter curse is broken, Emma convinces Regina to go on a road trip.</p>
            </blockquote>





	300 Miles (And I'm Waiting For You)

"A road trip?" Regina asks, staring incredulously at the woman sitting across the booth from her.

"Not a long one," Emma offers. "I just have some things I want to show you."

"Care to elaborate, Miss Swan?"

Emma sighs and wraps her hands around her mug of cocoa, warming her cold fingers as she stares into the liquid. Since the return to Storybrooke three months ago - after the curse and the other curse and the counter curse that sent her and Henry off to another life in New York - they had become closer and she was hoping this wouldn't be as much of a fight.

"C'mon, Regina. Henry's going to be camping with David and Snow this weekend. I'm asking for three days, that's all."

"Very well," Regina agrees. "But we're not taking your car."

"I already scheduled a rental," Emma informs her. "I'm going to pick it up in Portland tomorrow."

"Presumptuous, are we?" Regina asks, but there's a smile on her face that negates any hint of malice in her voice.

Emma rolls her eyes. "I'm going anyway," she says. "I was just hoping you'd go with me."

"When do we leave?"

*

Emma pulls up at Regina's on Friday at 8 am on the dot and Henry bounds from the car, eager to say goodbye to his other mother so he can leave on his first official camping trip.

"Whoa, kid! Get back here and help me with this," Emma calls, attempting to juggle a drink holder with three drinks and two bags while also closing the door.

Henry sighs but turns around anyway and takes the two bags from her before charging back up the walkway. Regina greets him on the porch with a hug and then he races into the kitchen.

"Right on time, Miss Swan. Looks like you are picking up a few good habits after all," Regina teases.

"You know you can call me Emma, right?" Emma asks, handing Regina her cup of coffee. "I did bring you breakfast."

"I know. And thank you," Regina says, her eyes slipping closed as she takes a sip of the coffee.

*

After breakfast, a now regular occurrence between the three of them, David comes by in his pickup truck for Henry. He hugs both of his mothers and rolls his eyes at their long winded be safe speeches, but before David drives off, he rolls down his window and calls to them. "Have fun this weekend! I love you Mom, Momma!"

They watch until David's truck disappears and then Emma turns to Regina. "Ready for our own adventure?"

"As I'll ever be," Regina says as she steps into the house to grab her suitcase, but turns and sticks her head out the door quickly. " _Miss Swan_."

Emma chuckles and shakes her head, following Regina into the house. "I've got it," she says, taking the suitcase from her hand. Their fingers brush and Emma dips her head, hiding her blush from Regina.

"Such a white knight," Regina teases.

*

Regina is silent until they hit the Maine-New Hampshire state line. It's not an uncomfortable silence - filled with music playing quietly from Emma's iPod (selected with Henry's assistance on Regina's favorite artists) and surreptitious glances at Regina as she stares out the window - but Emma is thankful to hear Regina's voice when she finally speaks.

"So do I get to know where we're going yet?" Regina asks, turning to look at Emma as she drives.

"I'd rather it be a surprise. But if you really want to know, I'll tell you."

"I think I can wait a few hours," Regina says and then resumes looking out the window.

*

"Do you miss it?" Regina asks when they hit Massachusetts.

"Hmmm?" Emma asks, snapping out of her daze.

"Boston. Do you miss it?"

"I used to," Emma admits honestly. "When I first came to Storybrooke I missed it all the time. The freedom, the anonymity. But after everything, there's no place I'd rather be."

After a long pause, Regina speaks again. "I'm glad."

*

When they stop for drinks and a stretch at a gas station in Connecticut, something occurs to Emma.

"Other than Boston, this is your first time out of Storybrooke, isn't it?"

Regina nods and a broad grin breaks across Emma's face. "Then that makes me even happier you came."

At the cash register, Emma pays for their drinks and snacks against Regina's protests. She slips in a keychain in the shape of the state into their order without Regina noticing and when she holds it up to her in the car, she tries not to think of another life when she was on the receiving end of such a gift.

"Something to commemorate the trip," Emma says as Regina takes it from her.

The other woman smiles brightly. "Thank you," she says genuinely, squeezing the metal into the palm of her hand.

"It won't be much longer," Emma says, slipping on her seatbelt.

*

It's the _Welcome to New York_ sign that finally clues her in.

"Emma are we..."

"Yes."

It's another two and a half miles before Emma says anything else. "I have the lease for another three months and since we kind of left on short notice, I thought I'd come get some of our stuff. If it's too hard, I... I get it. We can get a hotel and you don't have to visit. I just thought maybe you'd like to get a glimpse of the life you gave Henry," she says. And me, she doesn't add.

"No, it's..." Regina trails off and Emma gives her a quick glance, not missing the tears shining in her eyes. "It's very thoughtful of you. Thank you."

Emma reaches across the console and squeezes Regina's hand briefly before returning it to the steering wheel.

*

Though they park on street right in front of the building, they save the apartment building for last. Emma walks Regina through their neighborhood in Brooklyn, showing her the private school Henry was enrolled in ("He was on honor roll all four quarters," Emma tells her.), their favorite diner ("Nothing compared to Granny's," Emma says with a smile.), and even Emma's old workplace ("Thanks for the gig, by the way," Emma says nudging her gently.). When they make it to the park she and Henry spent every Saturday - even the snowy ones - at, Emma has to fight the urge to take Regina's hand in her own. Instead she pulls the zipper on her jacket up a little further and jams her hands into her pockets.

The sun is almost down when they make their way back to the building, chilling the air even more, and Emma unwinds the scarf from her neck to drape it over Regina's shoulders.

"You don't have to do that," Regina protests.

"I know," Emma says with a smile, unlocking the front door to the building and holding it open for Regina.

"We'll have to order take out; I hope you don't mind." Emma says as she pushes the door to her former home open.

"It's quite alright, dear," Regina tells her. Emma watches as she takes a deep breath to steady herself before crossing the threshold.

Emma takes a seat on the couch while Regina explores the loft and she has to admit, it feels a little weird to be back in there, like it was another lifetime. Which, if she's honest with herself it kind of was.

*

She's not sure how long she's been spaced out when Regina's voice breaks her thoughts.

"Did you actually use this?" Regina asks, dragging her fingers along the kitchen table top as she circles it.

"I guess your implanted memories did something for my manners," Emma says, standing up and crossing the room.

Regina chuckles. "I guess they did."

"We were having breakfast right here," Emma tells her, walking around the table in the opposite direction until they're face to face. "The day that Hook came, we were having breakfast right here, and it was just like every other day, except... it wasn't. I felt out of it, like my brain was hazy for no reason. Henry had to remind me to put cinnamon in our cocoa and as soon as I sat back down, he knocked."

"It scared me. Henry and I... we didn't have many visitors, and for a Saturday morning, I was so suspicious."

"I'm not certain a one handed pirate showing up at your door is ever not suspicious," Regina says lightly.

"True." Emma shakes her head and looks up at Regina, smiling softly. "I wish it would have been you."

"Why?" Regina asks, confusion clouding her eyes as Emma moves even closer.

Emma brings her hand up to cup Regina's cheek, searching the other woman's eyes for any sign of panic or protest. Seeing none, she leans in and closes the gap between them. The kiss is light, chaste, but she feels Regina sway into it and the tension that's been building for months seep out of her own shoulders.

"Because that might have convinced me," Emma whispers, lips brushing against Regina's once more.


End file.
